A Vibrio cholerae Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme To Facilitate the Epidemiological Study of Cholera

Abstract

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae isolates of the O1 and O139 serogroups are the causative agents of cholera, an acute diarrheal disease that plagued the world for centuries, if not millennia. Here, we introduce a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for V. cholerae . Using this scheme, we have standardized the definition for subspecies-level classification, facilitating global collaboration in the surveillance of V. cholerae . In addition, this typing scheme allows for quick identification of outbreak-related isolates that can guide subsequent analyses, serving as an important first step in epidemiological research. This scheme is also easily scalable to analyze thousands of isolates at various levels of resolution, making it an invaluable tool for large-scale ecological and evolutionary analyses.